Understand
by Lucille Bluejay
Summary: Telling someone you care and telling that person you love them is a hard thing to do. It must be done with care and the right choice of words but when one has no voice to speak with it makes things even more difficult, I had to learn that the hard way.
1. The Issue

_Understand_

Jericho stared at the ceiling for a long while, he had woken up at least an hour ago at five in the morning. The light in his room was beginning to change slowly from pitch black to a dim white from the morning sunrise. He had spent the last hour thinking deeply about what he was about to do today.

He sat upright and got out of bed. Jericho quickly made his bed and smoothed out the wrinkles from the covers. He made a fast trip to the bathroom to brush his teeth and fix up his messy blonde hair a little. While he was doing that he looked himself in the mirror, thinking of a mantra in his head to calm his nerves. He let out a shaky breath, put the last wavy lock back in its place, and went out to pull on his purple tunic. Jericho absent-mindedly brushed off the imaginary dust from his shoulders and straightened up his clothes even more than they needed to be.

It'll be fine, he told himself. You're not going to die from this.

He made the final adjustment to his gold sash that rounded his waist snugly and stood straight. He took in a deep breath and walked out the door. A second later he rushed back into his bedroom, hastily shutting the door behind him and leaning against it heavily. He slid down to the floor slowly and shut his eyes.

It's too early, he noted. He's probably not awake yet. Yeah, that's it. I'll just do this thing a little later when he's awake.

Still—Jericho thumped the side of his head gently and got up. He went to his desk beneath the window and took a seat. He rummaged for the MP3 player Cyborg had given him a few weeks ago. It was in a small case beside an organized tray of color pencils and calligraphy pens. He put the earphones on and flipped the power switch. At first he thought it hadn't turned on but a second later the smooth lyrics of the singer and the gentle rhythm of an acoustic guitar peeked his hearing.

Jericho sat stiffly in the chair while he listened to the lyrics.

Jericho let out a sigh and lowered his hands from his ears, crossing his arms on top of his desk and lay his chin on top of them. He looked out the window at the brightening sky with his mind wandering to his friend in the room across the hall while he listened to the song.

Despite his pulse quickening with the jitters, Jericho smiled.

In the room across the hall Herald woke up sneezing. He groaned softly while he sat up in his bed. He felt his forehead and wondered if he was coming down with something. Pulling out his mask from beneath the pillow he placed it carefully over his eyes and got out of bed. Herald yawned and stretched lazily all the way to the bathroom to freshen up. When he finished brushing his teeth and washing his face he came to the closet for his shirt.

He didn't have much to choose from, the whole closet was filled with the same outfit. He pulled out his blue sleeveless hooded shirt with his silver trumpet insignia on it. While slipping it on and pulling the hood over his head he returned to his bed and sat down on the edge. He put on his gray gloves that were draped on the night stand and got his boots on. Once he finished he patted himself down and made his bed.

Herald sneezed again, his head starting to pound slightly. He sniffled and walked across the room, plopping down onto the couch beside the window. He laid himself out over the seat cushions with his hands behind his head. Herald yawned loudly and looked out into the sky.

The sun was starting to brighten things up and stained the horizon with colors of gold and white. Jump City and its commuting bridge were darkly silhouetted against the sky with the bay's waters glowing faintly. Herald stared out into the view for a long time and slowly closed his eyes.

When he next reopened them he found round green eyes gazing at him from only an inch away.

"AGH!" Herald nearly jumped out of his skin. Jericho stumbled back in surprise. Herald placed his hand over his heart and glared at him, "_Man_—how many times have I told you not to do that?"

Jericho mouthed 'I'm sorry' while he signed it out with his hands. Herald sighed in aggravation, rubbing his forehead while he did.

"Shoot, you scared me to death! You gotta stop doin' that to me! Geez…"

He looked out the window and it was a lot brighter than when he last looked at it. Judging by the amount of light it was probably around eight or nine in the morning. He growled softly, falling back onto the cushions.

Jericho looked at him apologetically, when Herald caught his gaze he looked away. Herald raised a brow, "What?"

Jericho didn't respond and he bowed his head slightly. He was starting to feel a little bad.

"You okay?" Herald adjusted himself in his seat and reached over to put his hand on Jericho's shoulder. "What's wrong Jericho?" he asked in concern. "You don't look good, you sick?"

Jericho rifled through his vest and took out a small folded sheet of paper. He held it out to Herald who took it in mildly surprised confusion. Jericho stood, taking up the seat beside Herald. Looking at him questioningly Herald sat upright and unfolded the paper.

_I have to tell you something important_, the note said.

"Okay…" Herald said slowly. "So what is it that you need to tell me?"

Jericho felt a small jolt run up his spine and he began to feel worse. Jericho looked to the floor. It's too late to turn back now, he thought. Taking another breath he looked up. Herald gazed back with utmost attention.

"So what is it that you need to tell me?" he asked.

Jericho looked down at his boots for a while before he slowly looked into Herald's dark-skinned face. He held up three fingers. Herald stared at him blankly, "Uh, three words?"

Jericho shook his head mouthing, 'numbers'.

" 'Kay—three numbers. First number is…?"

Jericho chewed the inside of his cheek and he put up his index finger.

"One…"

He put up four fingers.

"…four…"

Three fingers.

"…and…three….right, so what's that mean?"

Jericho froze for a moment with his brows furrowing a little. He signed out the numbers again but a faster this time.

"One, four, three. What does that mean?" Herald asked confusedly.

Jericho put down his hand.

Herald cocked his head to the side and laid a hand on Jericho's shoulder. Herald opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off when Jericho brushed off his hand. It was the other way around now, Jericho was the one with his hand on his friend's shoulder. He shook Herald slightly, giving him a pat on the back. He looked into Herald's face with a small smile.

Herald furrowed his eyebrows behind his mask, "Um…Jericho?"

Jericho patted him again, getting up slowly and heading out the door. Herald got up quickly and followed him. "What is it that you're trying to say?"

Jericho stopped, turning to him as he shook his head. He still had that small smile on his face.

"Isn't it really important though?" Herald pushed on.

Jericho simply looked at him. He turned and continued down the hall. Herald looked after him with a small frown, looking down at the small note and re-reading the words.

Jericho walked up a small flight of stairs and took a right, walking down another hall. He dragged his feet, keeping his eyes on the floor. Jericho cast a glance over his shoulder.

Herald wasn't following behind him.

He walked a little faster until he reached the end of the hall where an elevator door stood. It swooshed open and he entered, pressing the up arrow button. A heaviness began to form in his chest and for the next few minutes he was in a daze. The elevator stopped, letting him off on the floor that led to the Tower's rooftop.

Stepping out into the bright morning light he wandered off to the roof's ledge and gazed out into the bay. He set his elbows on top of the ledge, resting his head into his hands while his mind began to drift.

He needed to let go. Let go of everything go for a second and breathe, and think things over again.

Jericho inhaled softly, taking in the salty air that brushed his cheeks gently and ruffled his hair. The heaviness in his chest lessened a little but came back once he let out the breath. Jericho's eyes opened and he tried again—this time taking in the air much more slowly. The saltiness seemed to burn his nose and fill his lungs with something hot. He choked inwardly, that heaviness he felt just got worse.


	2. Insight

_For: dani icarus_

I've made my peace already but since I still feel disgruntled it turns out that I have to find it again. What was sad was that I wasn't able to find it outside—the outdoors has always been 'my place'. But out here, on the Tower's rooftop, I just couldn't find it. Never mind the blue skies with their swirling white clouds. Never mind the green hills further away from the city across the bay. Never mind the sparkling waters of said bay. It wasn't right. I couldn't connect with anything here. This wasn't 'my place'. I sighed and headed back inside. Even the sun's light wasn't enough to brighten my day right now.

The elevator ride downstairs was quiet and so was my room when I entered it. My room was filled with a seemingly fake brightness that filtered through the windows. My eyes narrowed against it while I drew the curtains over the window. The atmosphere darkened and the room was warmer, more natural now with that fake light gone. I moved across the floor and settled myself on the bed. I sighed again while turning onto my side. Funny thing though, I don't think I've ever sighed so much in one day. My insides still felt heavy. What was wrong with me? I should have been automatically getting over it like I planned but I wasn't.

I don't know how long I lay there. It could've been hours for all I know. Somehow my fingers began to think for themselves and kept signing out the same thing—the same numbers. One…four…three. One, four, three. One, four, three. My hand kept doing the same thing over and over and I just let it. My mind went stupid and I blanked out for a very long time.

I just want everything to stop. Everything.

But my fingers didn't comply. One, four, three. One, four, three. One, four, three. They just kept going and going. One-four-three, one-four-three, one-four-three…Stop it! I curled my fingers in and made a tight fist which I tucked under my head. I know what I said—or tried to say.

I wanted everything to stop, just for a moment.

While I lay there I didn't notice my room slowly changing light. I vaguely wondered why no one came by to check up on me. My mind slowly became foggy and I drifted in and out of sleep.

I just needed to rethink things, that's all.

So…in reality I wasn't okay with it. I told him but it was too subtle and he didn't understand. If that's the case then I still haven't really let out what I needed to get off my chest. I was back to square one. Should I try again? Will it really make a difference? But for who? I really wonder about that…

Herald is a really great guy, and we've been friends for several months since we joined the Titans in Jump City. You could say we became inseparable. Herald treated me like a brother but because of our height difference I was more of a 'little brother'. I didn't mind it at all, truth be told I actually enjoyed it. I liked pretending the role of a bright eyed little brother that looked up in admiration to his older sibling. I saw Herald as the brother I never knew I wanted. He was what I wanted in a brother, someone who'd share the same interests and give me encouragement during hard work. A big brother who'd care for me and have my back through thick and thin till the end. A real best friend, a real brother. I was so glad to have come to know him.

I think he feels the same for me because whatever positive gesture I gave him he'd return the favor. But there was only one thing—just one—that he did for me that I had no idea of how I could ever compensate to.


	3. Mission Part 1

**for kcs**

March, 2005

"_One month after the downfall of the Brotherhood of Evil. Madam Rogue, Monsieur Malla, The Brain—the leaders of the Brotherhood, have been charged with terrorism and will be put on trial. Execution is inevitable._

_The many accomplices have been unfrozen and imprisoned. But during recent events they have banded together and escaped seeking to exact on their revenge on the Teen Titans._"

The Titans were gathered in the common room of the Tower watching the massive screen featuring the news broadcast. Beside that was a map of the city with several flashing red dots that seemed to be getting closer to the Tower. The blaring alarm system had already sounded off several minutes ago with the members rushing into the room. They looked grimly at each other when the news came about.

There was a horde of villains invading the city looking for a fight.

They all looked to Robin who watched the screen with narrowed eyes. He unfolded his arms and lowered the volume on the screen to barely a whisper. Bumblebee was the first to speak up.

"So?" she said sternly. "What do we do Robin?"

A low murmur of agreement and suggestions swept over the group. Robin picked up a headset from a nearby control panel and leapt over it to stand on the platform. He raised his hand for silence.

"Alright, listen up everyone," he said with authority. "These guys are looking for revenge. They thought that by getting together and busting out of jail this soon after they were put on ice that they've got an advantage over us. They don't and we won't let them get that advantage. What we need is a game plan. What we need to do is think smart and work together to bring these villains in. so gather around to receive your orders!"

And so it went.

A few teams were made to apprehend the criminals in the city, those who were left stayed behind to guard the tower. Herald was ordered to create portals to send everyone off on their assigned missions. When Herald began to open the last few he hesitated.

"What? What is it?" Robin demanded.

"I want to help take out Cinderblock," Herald answered.

"Sorry Herald, but you're needed more with Argent and Cyborg with taking down Adonis uptown. He's destroying police headquarters over there. Jericho, Bumblebee, and Red Star can handle Cinderblock."

"But he's a stone giant!" Herald argued. "Maybe a team of three isn't enough to take him out. What if they get hurt?"

"Look," Robin said stiffly. "I get where you're coming from but right now this city is in crisis! We have to do what we can so that other innocent people don't get caught in the crossfire. Don't worry about them. They're smart enough and strong enough to handle this okay?"

"I know but—"

A quick hand slapped Herald upside the head and Bumblebee began to yell, "Stop your worryin' and send us off trumpet boy! We don't got any time to waste here!"

"Send them off Herald. That's an order," Robin said.

Herald sighed and brought the trumpet to his lips. The portal opened and a hot cloud of dust blew against them all. Bumblebee and Red Star zoomed through with Jericho following after. Herald's hand shot out and grabbed him by the shoulder

"Jericho—wait."

Jericho stopped and turned to him. Herald tightened his grip slightly and put a grin on his face. "Watch yourself out there."

Jericho smiled back and nodded, running full speed into the portal and bracing himself for a fight.

He immediately found himself behind an over turned dump truck where his assigned teammates were crouching in the debris, quickly thinking of a plan. Jericho glanced up and saw the metal frame of an office building. It was a little small, maybe seven stories high, with neat and orderly rows of metal girders crossing each other in lines. Several men ran past and through the site's gates, they were all shouting in alarm. Loud crashing sounded off to the way front of them and another dump truck came hurtling through the air, landing very close to where they were. A cloud of dust kicked up and they all cringed, shielding themselves with their arms. Looking up again they saw the massive stone figure of Cinderblock standing stock-still several yards away. He was just standing there, perfectly straight and staring at them, waiting for a counter attack.

"Okay big guy," Bumblebee said to Red Star. "You come in right after I shoot up that block head. I need you to hit him hard—real hard—that way Jericho can get inside his thick skull and see what's up with him. Got that?"

"Right," He answered.

Bumblebee's wings fluttered and she flew upwards. "Jericho!" she called down to him. "Get these workers to safety!"

Jericho waited for her and Red Star to charge forward and attack Cinderblock before he took off like a bullet to the left, far away from their fight to guide the construction workers to safety. Two men were helping a third who lay unconscious underneath a pile of wooden beams. They each used all their strength to haul off one beam at a time. At that rate they wouldn't be able to get him out in time. Jericho immediately dove in and began hauling off beams as fast as he could. The two workers looked to him, then to the fight where Bumblebee began shooting electric beams into Cinderblock's face, then quadrupled their efforts in getting their co-worker out. The seconds ticked by and they only managed to get a fourth of the beams off the pile.

"Stand back," said a gruff Russian voice. Jericho felt a strong hand land on his shoulder pull him back. The two men stepped back and allowed Red Star to hastily grasp an armload of the beams. He took six into his arms like it was nothing and quickly tossed them to the side. He kept going until the men grabbed their friend from underneath the last few remnants of the pile. They pulled him up as quickly and gently as they could, looping his limp arms around their shoulders. Red Star took off into the fight to help Bumblebee. Jericho guided the three men out the gates while looking back apprehensively in case Cinderblock decided to come after them.

A pickup truck was waiting to receive the men with the driver fearfully shouting for us to hurry. He helped lay the injured man into the back of the truck and the other two jumped in beside him. They thanked him and the truck zoomed down the street. Jericho ran back through the gates to join the fight. As he got closer Red Star and Cinderblock had their hands locked together while they tried to out push each other. Red Star was winning and was slowly forcing Cinderblock under the building frame. Jericho didn't understand why.

The enclosed space may work to Red Star's advantage but it was still big enough to allow Cinderblock to land several hits. But when he noticed that dozens of equipment and building materials crowded the space inside he knew that it was going to work in Red Star's favor. Jericho skidded to a halt and looked around.

Where was Bumblebee?

He heard a loud groan, turning he spotted her lying in a pile of stiff bags of cement mix not too far away. Jericho rushed to her and helped her to her feet. She rubbed her head and her lower back.

"Agh…that hurts…" she grumbled. "Thanks. You got those guys to safety?"

He nodded.

"Good. You're on standby, when we give you the all clear you phase into his body okay?"

Jericho nodded again. Bumblebee shrank down to her insect size and flew off. He watched with strained eyes while she fluttered towards them. He got closer and watched as she flew past them, her feet landing against a metal supporter which she used to push off and fly full force at Cinderblock. Just mere inches away from him she morphed back to her original size and used both her booted feet to knock him to the side away from Red Star. Cinderblock fell heavily making the ground beneath our feet to quake slightly. Bumblebee shrank again and began to shoot electrified shots into his eyes before he got the chance to get up. Jericho ran over debris and large tools that were left behind by their owners to take his stance beside Red Star.

"Look out!" Bumblebee shrieked. They ducked just in time when a big cement mixer flew towards them. It knocked into a tall stack of planks, landing with an explosion of splinters and dust. They looked forward as Bumblebee continued to shoot into his face. She gave him a roundhouse kick then flew upwards. Red Star took his cue and rushed forward, jumping into the air and giving Cinderblock a massive blow to the side of his head. The stone giant fell with a thunderous crash that shook the ground again. Red Star and Bumblebee jumped onto him, holding down each of his arms leaving him wide open for me.

"Go!" Red Star shouted. Jericho dashed forward and hopped onto Cinderblock's chest, staring into the monster's eyes and feeling his vision begin to shift.

Cinderblock jerked wildly before Jericho could phase into his body. He thrashed his powerful arms, knocking Jericho off and sending Bumblebee flying across the ground through the gaps of the frame. He took hold of Red Star and hurtled him into a supporting beam which let out a hollow metal thunk once he hit. The entire frame shook like the aftermath of a gong and Red Star grunted loudly in pain, slumping onto the dirt. Jericho was alone in the open now.


	4. Mission Part 2

_To the followers of this story: I'm sorry I haven't updated. School ended for me a while ago but right after I've been going through a few emotionally draining weeks. I apologize for the grammatical errors that may show up in this chapter._

He took a fighting stance and glared at Cinderblock who straightened himself out, staring him down with blank eyes. Jericho felt his vision shift again attempting to phase into Cinderblock but the monster ran forward, smashing his massive fist into the ground where Jericho stood. Jumping backwards in time and Jericho landed hard on his back. Cinderblock advanced on him with raised fists. Jericho's heart jumped into his throat as he scrambled to his feet to escape.

CRASH!

A jackhammer landed a few feet to his right. He continued to run with that monster following after him. Looking back Jericho saw him pick up a wheelbarrow and toss it in his direction. It missed by a foot. He was about to run out from under the building when a giant steel beam crashed in his path. Jericho gasped, taking a sharp turn. Cinderblock was right behind him now—stomping ever closer. Jericho looked over his shoulder at the monster with fear when he realized it had led him into a corner blocked off by a tall stack of cement blocks and bags.

Oh no, oh no, he thought apprehensively. The stacks were far too tall for him to climb over with Cinderblock so close! Cinderblock changed his pace, taking slower steps towards Jericho.

He backed up slowly into a supporter beam. Jericho was completely cornered. He looked up at the stone giant that was creeping towards him, its eyes now alive with rage. He looked to the blocks and bags then high above. Several girders crossed in a neat grid a few stories above them. Jericho looked around again and that's where he spotted it, a caged elevator at the other corner of the giant frame. His eyes shot forward as Cinderblock reeled back, rock fist shooting towards him. Jericho ducked, running beneath his parted legs. Cinderblock's fist connected with the metal and shook the whole place.

Cinderblock quickly came running after him. Jericho zigzagged behind several supporters, he knew Cinderblock wouldn't be able to catch him in a place like this but still—the monster was fast. Jericho ran as hard as he could and running into the elevator he pulled down the lever inside it. Soon he found himself slowly rising past floor after floor. He heard a girl let out a growl of anger from below, Jericho looked down to see Bumblebee zoom up to Cinderblock and slam the soles of her boots into the back of his head. He staggered, turning around slowly only to have his face blasted by yellow beams.

Bumblebee backed away slowly with Cinderblock moving forward. Cinderblock batted at his face and in a flash he lunged forward and took a swing at Bumblebee. She flew back and he followed, ready to land another hit.

"Red Star!" she yelled while shooting up the monster's face. "Red Star! Where are you? Are you okay?"

There was no answer.

The elevator stopped and Jericho got off onto a small platform. He could still see the fight below and realized that Bumblebee was leading Cinderblock away. She shot his face and led him farther and farther away from where Jericho was.

"Jericho! What are you waiting for?" she screamed. "Call for backup!"

Red Star was unconscious and she had her hands full with Cinderblock, Jericho wasn't able to do much to help. He couldn't go up against Cinderblock otherwise he'd probably be killed. All Jericho could do was call for help.

He grabbed his communicator from his belt and called in. Robin's face appeared in the small screen.

"Robin here, report."

Jericho looked at Robin with wide eyes and began to text furiously at the tiny key pad.

help redstar k.o.'d bbee fighting alone need help

Robin's eyes darted from side to side as he read the message and said, "Right, I'll send someone for back up. Starfire—Raven—go out and help them!"

"We shall arrive as soon as we can!" Jericho heard Starfire say from somewhere off screen.

"Let's go," snapped Raven.

The screen went black and Jericho stuffed the commi back into his belt.

"Aaaaaggh!"

His eyes shot downwards and he saw a blur of black and yellow fly across the ground and slam into a supporter beam. A loud clang rang out and Bumblebee hit the ground hard. Jericho's heart jumped into his throat again because he saw Cinderblock staring straight up at him.

Cinderblock jumped up, holding onto a beam and heaving himself up. The monster continued to climb and made his way towards Jericho who began to panic. He had no weapons to fight off Cinderblock and he wasn't strong enough to take the creature on. Jericho stared as Cinderblock climbed up to the level he was on. Cinderblock held onto the perfectly angled beams and looked at him. Jericho braced himself and stared deep into Cinderblock's eyes. Cinderblock jumped up towards Jericho right at the moment his powers activated. Everything changed color, brights inverted to darks and darks inverted to brights. Jericho felt his body become light as he jumped into Cinderblock's chest.

Everything was very dark for a moment then it brightened to a dim gray. Jericho flexed his hand in front of his face and saw instead a large stone hand curl its fingers into its palm. Good, he had complete control for a moment. Cinderblock had landed on the platform Jericho was standing a second before and he made Cinderblock stand upright. The platform under the creature's feet bent in slightly with his weight, with the intentions of sending him falling over the side. Jericho was about to have the creature jump when he felt a force inside the blackness with him.

Jericho felt an immense pressure encase him, nearly breaking everything in his body. But it wasn't just Jericho's body-it was his mind too. It filled Jericho's head with a searing feeling of rage, nearly splitting his mind in two.

_Get…out!_ A rumbling voice said. _GET…OUT_!

Everything around him shook, he couldn't breathe…he couldn't move.

_GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!_

Jericho felt himself fly through air and he opened his eyes to find that he was falling out of Cinderblock's chest and towards the ground below. Jericho's arms went out and he grabbed onto the edge of a girder. He managed to catch it just in time and haul himself up. He crouched low, holding onto either side of the surface he had beneath him. Across from Jericho Cinderblock shook his head furiously, leaning against a beam. The metal beneath his stone feet bent further and Jericho took his chance to quickly run away across the narrow space.

When he almost reached a corner he heard a thunderous creak of metal and felt the support beneath his feet falter. He staggered, lunging forward to grasp onto a tall beam. Jericho turned his head to look back at Cinderblock and the stone being had jumped from his ledge onto the one Jericho stood on. The metal bent into a crooked angle and Jericho held onto both sides with Cinderblock glared at him with a silent rage. Jericho hastily stepped onto another ledge and tried to run across. Cinderblock leapt into the air and landed with a metallic thud on the same ledge.

Jericho lost his balance and grasped onto both sides of the beam. He crouched and Cinderblock did the same and after only a moment he stood up right and stomped towards Jericho. With each step the metal beneath them bent further and further until Jericho was practically ready to fall off. Jericho couldn't let go and he couldn't escape. He looked up anxiously, his heart racing in his chest. Cinderblock simply glared down, scooping Jericho up by the front of his shirt.

He pulled at Cinderblock's enormous hand in hopes of freeing himself but no such luck. Cinderblock brought Jericho closer to his face and glared hard into his eyes. It was at that time Jericho felt everything inside himself stop. Cinderblock tossed him into the air and with a mute scream Jericho felt a stone hand forcefully collide with his body. Jericho was sent flying into a supporter across the ledge and he fell five stories to the ground.


	5. Awakening of

_After four long years of this poor fanfic being buried alone on my hard drive, I've finally reached the end of the document. I can't believe that it took me so long to reach where I last left off. But I can tell you that I look forward to coming up with new material instead of refining ancient text. So to my readers, please enjoy this new chapter and look forward to the next. Oh, and please feel free to critique and point out flaws. :)_

Time became a blur…it could have been seconds…or years…it was very unclear…for Jericho, time just became a weight that pulled at him from the inside.

When his mind suddenly pulled itself into consciousness he immediately felt the bleariness of a deep sleep. His body jolted into a panic when he felt that he wasn't taking in enough air. His mind was forced into full alertness as he forced his lungs to pump several gulps of air. His heart began to throb and he felt his body grow hot when the air he needed didn't come. His head turned left and right, the rest of his body jerking painfully. There was something in his mouth, in his throat, that was preventing him from breathing. His fingers curled into his palms while his lungs struggled.

Besides his erratic breathing, other noises came to his ears. Hissing…humming…where was he?

Gurgled voices filled his head while he jerked fitfully in a panic. He felt different sets of hands running over him and the voices spoke quickly over his head. A pair of hands held his shoulders down while another pair seemed to check on the tube in his mouth. A deep voice said something and soon, air filled his chest.

Jericho inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. When his body received the oxygen it desperately needed his heart slowed and the hot feeling he felt earlier gradually disappeared. The hands left his shoulders and the voices drifted away. Jericho opened his eyes again but still saw blackness. He attempted to lift his hand but it wouldn't comply, his body was too tired to respond. He strained and forced his hand to his face. His hand slowly brushed against his eyes and he felt stiff gauze that wrapped over his eyes and around his head. His hand plunked down back to his side in exhaustion.

He bit the inside of his lip and when he felt a sharp pain he quickly ruled out death or being in a dream. He wiggled his fingers and toes and felt the soft texture of sheets. He turned his head and rubbed his cheek against a pillow. He chewed at the tube in his mouth and thought 'hospital'.

How long was he there for? Last thing he remembered was…was falling from a building…and before that, a stone fist colliding with his body. The memory was still fresh but he really wanted to know how long he was lying there for.

Jericho lay there with a blank mind for a long time. He was about to drift into sleep when he heard a soft muffled voice at his bedside.

It murmured something a few times then fell silent. Smaller voices came to his hearing and the soft female voice quieted them. He felt a hand hold itself over his head then go down the length of his body. It roamed back up and then lingered over his chest and over his arms. A tingling sensation came into those areas. It was very cold at first and became very warm, making his muscles flex slightly. The sensation continued for a few minutes then disappeared. The hand withdrew and the female voice spoke again. The smaller voices murmured in some kind of agreement and Jericho felt a light cloth being laid against his torso. The voices drifted away and he was left alone.

He stayed awake for a long time, inwardly flexing his stiff muscles. When he drifted off to sleep and awoke again he felt more energetic. He practiced lifting his hand to feel the bandage wound firmly around his head. His hand and arm no longer felt like a dead weight. He tried it with his other hand and felt the same ease in his limb.

Muffled voices suddenly drifted over Jericho's head and he felt cool wrinkled fingers wrap themselves around his hand that was feeling the bandage. He felt someone come close to his ear and say in a clear tone, "good morning to you Mr. Jericho. How are you feeling?"

He turned his head towards the voice in surprise.

"My name is Dr. Tom Lawrence," continued the voice. "I've been watching over you these past five months since you first came here. Last night was the first night you regained your consciousness and today you are a little over due in getting those bandages off your head, my boy. Now I'm going to get you into a sitting position and get those things off you, alright? Must be hard to hear anything through such thick gauze."

The doctor chuckled in his ear and soon Jericho felt the bed shift. It rose slightly and he found himself sitting upright. He felt gentle hands come to the back of his head and undo some clasp. Then the doctor began to unwind the bandage from his head. While doing so, the doctor talked about how Jericho got there and how he was most likely confused about his whereabouts. He talked about his injuries which stunned Jericho: Broken neck, collar bone, severely fractured skull, many cracked ribs, unbelievable brain damage, etcetera….

The weight around his head began to become lighter and lighter and soon a dull white light shone through his eyelids.

"Well?" said the Dr. Lawrence. "Aren't you going to open your eyes, my boy? Or have you added blindness to your long list of ailments?"

Jericho opened his eyes and came face to face with a gentle looking old man with thick graying hair and mustache. Dr. Lawrence smiled in a satisfied way, "good. You can see. Let me just give you a routine check up and we'll get on to calling your friends and telling them you're finally up and well."

The tests were very basic. The doctor took a look into his eyes, ears, and mouth. He checked his breathing with his stethoscope and said that everything was pretty normal and how his improvement was going so well and commented on how his little magician friend did a certainly fantastic job with the healing process.

Raven, Jericho noted.

Dr. Lawrence adjusted the bed so Jericho would be in a half sitting and half laying position in the bed. He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" he said. "This is Dr. Tom Lawrence. I'm calling about your team mate Jericho. No, no, no, he's quite fine. In fact…" he gave Jericho a wink and smile. "He just woke up now."

Jericho heard the phone let out a female squeak that made the doctor jerk back the phone a few inches away. When he pressed it back against his ear he said smilingly, "yes, I'm quite serious young lady. I did a few basic checkups on him and he seems fine. Oh—ah, young lady, could you please hold on for a minute?"

Dr. Lawrence put his hand over the receiver of his cell phone and asked Jericho if he was up to having his friends come by for a visit. Jericho didn't even blink when he nodded his head eagerly and smiled 'yes, I would like that very much.'

The doctor chuckled and passed the message onto whoever was on the other end of the phone. The phone let out another excited squeak and the doctor repeatedly said his goodbyes and your welcomes and 'he's up, really, and he's quite fine's.

He hung up and said to Jericho, "they're on their way. The young lady on the phone seemed quite thrilled about the news. Tell me, what is 'wolgor goosaloo' supposed to mean?"

Jericho shrugged, smiling again.

"You had better brace yourself young man," Dr. Lawrence advised him. "Any time family come in to see a patient whose outcomes and conditions are very positive, there's usually a horde of excitement and a herd of people stampede into the room with good wishes and tons of gifts. I can't imagine what a bunch of superheroes would do to this place after seeing a crowd of frat boys came in and caused such a great racket with their partying last month. Goodness, this is a _hospital_ not a dance club! So please, young man, keep your celebration to a minimum. Sure you're up now after so many months but it won't be after another few months in rehab that you'll be able to run more smoothly and be able to go home."

Dr. Lawrence let out a short sigh, gave Jericho one last grin, then left the room with a pleasant goodbye and wave of the hand.

Jericho wiggled his fingers a bit and bent his knees a little. The upper part of his body was a little achy and his head felt a little fuzzy but besides that everything was fine. He looked around the room. It wasn't much to look at. Bare turquoise walls. White linoleum floors. Grayish sunlight pouring through the white curtains. He let out a small breath then laid his head further into the pillows.

Then all hell seemed to break loose.

A loud blaring horn sounded, then blinding light filled the room along with blurs of red, yellow and white and a massive black shadow seem to shoot from the floor.

FWOOOMMMSSSSSHHHHH

Next thing Jericho knew, his fellow Titans were crowding around his bed and shooting comment after comment, question after question, and word after word of relief. He really wasn't able to process it all. It all seemed to happen so fast. In seconds, really. There were just so many different faces pressing forward into his line of sight. So many people crowded around him. So many voices….

Then one, a deep aged voice that was trying to say something over the ramble of everyone else's, yelled, "EXCUSE ME!"

The storm of young heroes and voices stopped abruptly. They all turned to the door.

"Will you all please LEAVE?" Dr. Lawrence said loudly. "This room can't take more than a few people. Most of you have to leave! Now, I don't care if you're all super heroes but you MUST not over excite my patient! Will some of you please leave? Now? Just take turns and do be mindful of the other patients. And you—yes you, the uh…gigantic teddy bear in the back…I don't know how to you got IN here but I think you should go and help give these people some room to breathe."

"We'll go see him later," said Raven's muffled voice from somewhere in the crowd.

Her voice was followed by a handful of children's disappointed aww's which floated over a low rumbling 'aww'. Black shadows floated over bobby and engulfed him and the children and raven then disappeared within a flash, leaving a lot of room left to breath. Several other Titans came forward and gave their words of relief and congratulations. Many filed out the door until only Robin, Bumblebee, Red Star, and the Herald were left.

"Remember to go easy on him," said Dr. Lawrence. "He has been in a coma for the past five months, you know."

"Yes, we know," said Robin who stepped forward and shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you, doctor."

Dr. Lawrence gave a polite nod and left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. Robin pulled up a chair beside the bed and sat down, looking at Jericho with a strange expression that was a mixture of relief and sympathy.

"I'm glad you're gonna be okay," he said.

Jericho smiled wearily at him and looked at the others. They were all looking at him with the same strange expression as Robin's. Herald came forward and sat at the end of the bed while the others came to the other side.

Bumblebee laid a hand gently on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Jericho," she said quietly.

"No, if there's anyone whose gonna be sorry, it has to be me," Robin said solemnly. "If I had only sent you somewhere else or had more people come with you, this would have never happened…I'm sorry Jericho."

Jericho shook his head gently, looking up at Robin and thought that he shouldn't feel that the blame was to be put on him.

"You should've listened to me," said Herald.

"I know…" Robin replied with a tone that implied that he had heard those words several times before.

"I'm not talkin' to you," he continued. "I'm talking to Jericho. Jericho, didn't I tell you to be careful out there? You almost died…you really did die…"

"Yes," Red Star said. "Ven Starfire and Raven came you vere already dead. But only for a few seconds. If it vere not for Raven's magic, you vould have never made it."

This news startled Jericho and the beeping of the heart monitor grew rapid and loud, causing the others to look at it in alarm. Bumblebee held onto his wrist and said, "Jericho, calm down. You're okay now!"

The beeping slowed to its normal pace. Jericho closed his eyes.

He really died?

Jericho re-opened his eyes and looked at the others in the room. His eyes fell onto robin for explanation.

Reading his mind, robin said, "You were knocked onto the ground from six stories up. Your skull fractured and you broke so many bones…you were dead for a few seconds. When Starfire and raven showed up, raven saved you by using up a lot of her energy and transferring it into your body. She was able to bring you back but you were still hanging by a thread. She brought you to the hospital and the others brought down cinderblock. You were the only major casualty we had. A lot of us got just a few bumps and bruises compared to what you got. Five months…I can't believe it…"

"Neither can we," bumblebee said. "Listen, they tell us that you're going to be in here for a while longer until you're able to get back on your feet and walk on your own. So good luck to you, kid. That's what kept you alive and hard work is what's gonna help you get outta here as soon as possible. Take care, I'll keep tabs on you, you hear?"

She smiled and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Red star smiled and nodded his head and followed bumblebee out the door.

"Take it easy," robin said as he gave Jericho's shoulder a soft pat. He got up and left.

Herald came over to the side of the bed and sat down at Jericho's feet. He looked at him and said, "I'm glad you're okay, man. You feeling a'ight?"

Jericho smiled and nodded.

"That's good…that's good…"

They shared a moment of silence and Herald smiled to himself. He linked his hands together and slouched a little, staring at the floor.

"I'm glad you're okay," he said again. "I kinda got really worried when they said that you died for a minute. Thank god raven saved you. Are you sure you're okay?"

Jericho nodded again.

"Good. Hey…uh, listen. If you need anything, I'll be willing to help you out. Anything at all, man. I'll help, really, I will. I'll come visit you whenever I can, is that cool with you?"

Jericho gave Herald's back a tap with his leg. When Herald looked over Jericho smiled in agreement. Herald's face lit up and he got up to pat Jericho on the shoulder.

"Heal quick," he said. "I'll come see you tomorrow. See you then, Jericho."

He gave Jericho one last look before leaving the room. Jericho stared after him even when the door shut closed. He smiled gently.


End file.
